Critic Reviews

Although you don’t have a choice this year (hopefully 2K jumps back into the fold in 2009), NCAA Basketball 09 is solid enough to get you excited for tourney time. That in itself is worth the price for admission.

Overall, while the game is a significant improvement over last years version, it’s disappointing that many of the problems with the game weren’t ironed out. The game does so many things great, from the tempo control to the incredibly deep dynasty mode. If EA can get some of the nagging gameplay issues under control, they’ve laid the groundwork for a very good next season.

NCAA Basketball 09 doesn't make the mistake of adding an over-ambitious feature like NBA Live's DNA, but it's also a shame to not see them incorporate some of the easier, more standard feature into the game. There's plenty missing from NCAA Basketball 09 and the dynasty mode is need of a revamp, but the core basketball is progressing nicely and effectively borrows some of what worked in NBA Live 09. NCAA 09 needs more to warrant a purchase from basketball diehards, but newbies should be satisfied with what the game has to offer.

NCAA Basketball 09 doesn't make the mistake of adding an over-ambitious feature like NBA Live's DNA, but it's also a shame to not see them incorporate some of the easier, more standard feature into the game. There's plenty missing from NCAA Basketball 09 and the dynasty mode is need of a revamp, but the core basketball is progressing nicely and effectively borrows some of what worked in NBA Live 09. NCAA 09 needs more to warrant a purchase from basketball diehards, but newbies should be satisfied with what the game has to offer.

A good outing for NCAA Basketball 09 on the Playstation 3, not perfect, but good. NCAA Basketball 09 has the underlying element of what could be a huge step in the right direction, but the lack of depth ends up being the games great fault. With such a rich holiday market for gamers this is a hard game to recommend, but if you really want to get your taste for college basketball this season the game wouldn’t make a bad rental.

A polished game overall that falls victim to crimes of the past. Every basketball installment from EA in this next-gen era of video gaming gives up a bit of improvement with the essential roster update. However, they fail to fix the ultimate mistake of all of those games. The shot-taking mechanics still lack fluidity which leads to a nominal score. You will enjoy this game if you are at all interesting in college hoops. It is and will continue to be the only offering for college hoops so you will have to be satisfied with EA’s installment.

So even though you don’t have a choice, NCAA Basketball 09 is still a fun game to play. Its deep dynasty mode and college atmosphere are great but I would have liked to see EA really step it up, being the only college basketball on the market this holiday season. It’s not too different from last year’s installment, a bit of a step down in my opinion, but still good. It’s always great to live the dream and play with “your team” as you try to make some noise in March.

While there is no question that NCAA Basketball 09 still has some gameplay issues to correct, the addition of game tempo control, custom playbooks, effective pick-and-roll mechanics, and easy-to-use play calling options has made this game a viable alternative to the NBA titles for casual and hardcore gamers alike.

So even though you don’t have a choice, NCAA Basketball 09 is still a fun game to play. Its deep dynasty mode and college atmosphere are great but I would have liked to see EA really step it up, being the only college basketball on the market this holiday season. It’s not too different from last year’s installment, a bit of a step down in my opinion, but still good. It’s always great to live the dream and play with “your team” as you try to make some noise in March.

Though NCAA 09 is probably the first significant NCAA basketball title for next-gen systems, gamers may be just as well served to pick up Live 09 or any other similar title. As it stands, outside of its presentation, there isn’t much to write home about. For the newly enrolled, it’s a solid entry in a familiar and seldom changing formula, for veterans, you may as well skip this class.

Though NCAA 09 is probably the first significant NCAA basketball title for next-gen systems, gamers may be just as well served to pick up Live 09 or any other similar title. As it stands, outside of its presentation, there isn’t much to write home about. For the newly enrolled, it’s a solid entry in a familiar and seldom changing formula, for veterans, you may as well skip this class.

While there is no question that NCAA Basketball 09 still has some gameplay issues to correct, the addition of game tempo control, custom playbooks, effective pick-and-roll mechanics, and easy-to-use play calling options has made this game a viable alternative to the NBA titles for casual and hardcore gamers alike.